When Lady Bridget was in Jerusalem, she was doubtful as to whether it were better
for her to lodge in the monastery of the Friars Minor on Mount Zion or in the
pilgrims' hostel in Jerusalem; and then the Virgin Mary appeared to her at prayer
and told her that she should lodge in the hostel as a good example to others.
The Mother of God speaks: "In that place on Mount Zion there are two kinds
of human beings. Some love God with all their heart. Others want to have God, but
the world is sweeter to them than God is. And therefore, so that the good may not
be scandalized and so that you may not give an occasion to the lukewarm or an
example to the future, it is therefore better to reside in the place appointed for
pilgrims. For my Son will provide for you in all things as it pleases him."
Chapter Eighteen
In the kingdom of Cyprus, Lady Bridget was asked by Lady Eleanor, the queen of
the said kingdom, to pray to God for her son the king and for that kingdom. Lady
Bridget then crossed over to Jerusalem; and there one day, while she was at prayer,
Christ appeared to her and spoke to her these counsels, which she was to write to
the said king and to his paternal uncle, the prince of Antioch. And he instructed her
to write those things to them as if from herself and not from the part of Christ.
The bride writes to the king of Cyprus and to the prince of Antioch: "The first
counsel is that each of you, in the presence of his confessor, is to make a clean and
complete confession of all the things that he has done against the will of God; and
thus you are to receive the blessed Body of our Lord Jesus Christ with fear and love
of God. The second counsel is that both of you are to be united in true love so that
you may be one heart toward God and his honor, ruling the kingdom for the honor
of God and the good of your subjects.
The third counsel is that both of you are to be united in true charity with your
subjects and that, solely out of reverence for the passion and death of Jesus Christ,
you are to forgive and spare all who, by advice, deed, or approbation, cooperated in
the death of your father King Peter. Include them in your charity with all your heart
in order that God may deign to include you in his mercy and also that he may will
to strengthen you to rule the kingdom for his honor.
The fourth counsel is that, since divine providence has appointed you the
governors of the kingdom, you should use all possible diligence in speaking to all
the prelates, both of the churches and of the religious orders, effectively but
charitably advising them that they and their subjects should all correct themselves
in all those matters in which they have in any way deviated spiritually or
temporally from the holy state of their predecessors, the holy fathers of earlier
times, and that they should quickly return to living purely in the pristine state of
their predecessors, so that their state may be totally reformed in order that they and
their subjects, having thus truly amended their lives, may obtain God's friendship
and be made worthy to pray that God may mercifully deign to renew in holiness of
virtues the state of the universal Church.
The fifth counsel is that, for the sake of that great charity with which God has
loved your souls, you should will to love the souls of your subjects, advising your
military people that all who have in any way offended God should quickly and
humbly correct themselves, and that all who are under obedience to the Roman
Church and who have reached the age of reason should humbly exercise the
practice of confession; that they should reconcile themselves to those neighbors
they have offended and establish a concord with them; and that, having amended
their lives, they should receive the awesome Body of Christ.
The fourth counsel is that, since divine providence has appointed you the
governors of the kingdom, you should use all possible diligence in speaking to all
the prelates, both of the churches and of the religious orders, effectively but
charitably advising them that they and their subjects should all correct themselves
in all those matters in which they have in any way deviated spiritually or
temporally from the holy state of their predecessors, the holy fathers of earlier
times, and that they should quickly return to living purely in the pristine state of
their predecessors, so that their state may be totally reformed in order that they and
their subjects, having thus truly amended their lives, may obtain God's friendship
and be made worthy to pray that God may mercifully deign to renew in holiness of
virtues the state of the universal Church.
The fifth counsel is that, for the sake of that great charity with which God has
loved your souls, you should will to love the souls of your subjects, advising your
military people that all who have in any way offended God should quickly and
humbly correct themselves, and that all who are under obedience to the Roman
Church and who have reached the age of reason should humbly exercise the
practice of confession; that they should reconcile themselves to those neighbors
they have offended and establish a concord with them; and that, having amended
their lives, they should receive the awesome Body of Christ.
Any such people whom they find living impudently in their public sins, they
are to forewarn with effective admonishments concerning the peril of their souls;
and they are to teach them such measures and spiritual remedies by means of which
they can and must humbly amend their lives. If, however, some of those who live in
public sins will not humbly obey, then the same rectors must not delay in reporting
to their superiors and the bishops in order that the prelates may juridically correct
the forwardness of such obstinate persons by means of an ecclesiastical censure.
If, in fact, because of the sinners' stubbornness and pride or because of their
temporal power, the aforesaid bishops and prelates are unable to correct or punish
them, then you, my lords, are advised to be, with your powerful hands, co-workers
with the lord prelates so that by your help the said sinners may be brought to
correct themselves and that having amended their lives they may attain God's
mercy."